In general, the invention relates to the use of collagen-based systems for delivery of anti-cancer agents and therapies.
Despite many advances in treatments, cancer still remains a major cause of death in aging Americans. For example, prostate cancer remains the second most common cause of cancer-related death among males. In 1995, over 240,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States, and more than 40,000 men lost their lives to this disease. Despite these statistics, the ideal treatment for this disease remains controversial. Common treatment recommendations include surgery, external-beam radiation, and brachytherapy.
Surgery is ideally a one-time procedure that may cure prostate cancer in its early stages and extend life in the later stages. However, surgery requires hospitalization, can produce side effects, including impotence and incontinence, and is expensive and can strain limited health care resources.
Alternatively, radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy can be used to treat prostate cancer that has not spread to distant areas of the body. Like surgery, radiation therapy works best when the cancer is located in a small area and, in early stages of prostate cancer, can be very effective. However, since the rays cannot always be directed perfectly, radiation therapy can damage both cancer cells and healthy surrounding tissue.
A third treatment method for prostate cancer is brachytherapy, which is a form of radiation therapy in which radioactive sources are implanted directly into a malignant tumor. This approach offers the appealing concept of delivering a high dose of radiation to a confined volume while sparing adjacent normal tissue.